Akwa Ibom’s $4.2 billion port project gains momentum as federal support grows and key regulatory approvals clear the path for financing and take-off.
After more than two decades on the drawing board, Nigeria’s proposed Ibom Deep Sea Port is moving steadily toward construction, as government officials intensify efforts to secure financing and position the facility as a major trade hub for West and Central Africa.
First conceived in 1999 under former Akwa Ibom Governor Victor Attah, the port has remained one of Nigeria’s most ambitious infrastructure projects. Successive administrations have pushed to advance it, but the current drive under Governor Umo Eno marks the most aggressive attempt yet to bring the project to life.
If completed, the Ibom Deep Sea Port is expected to transform Nigeria’s maritime capacity and strengthen its strategic footprint in the Gulf of Guinea. The $4.2 billion project occupies more than 2,500 hectares within the planned Ibom Industrial City, with provisions for future expansion. Officials say the port will serve as a major transshipment center capable of handling post-Panamax vessels of at least 80,000 deadweight tonnage.
Key design features include an 18-meter draft, a 20-kilometer approach channel, specialized terminals for containers and bulk cargo, a 7.5-kilometer quay, and integrated road and rail connections. The port is being structured as a 50-year public-private partnership, with the Bolloré Africa Logistics–PowerChina International Consortium selected as the preferred bidder.
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Several regulatory milestones have already been achieved. The Federal Executive Council approved the project’s Outline Business Case in 2025, while full feasibility studies — including geotechnical and geophysical assessments — are complete. Front-End Engineering Design work is currently underway, and authorities project that construction could begin in 2026, starting with dredging, breakwater development, and terminal construction.
The remaining hurdle is financing. Unlike the Lekki Deep Sea Port in Lagos — largely funded by private sector investors led by the Tolaram Group and China Harbor Engineering Company — the Ibom project is driven by a subnational government. As a result, securing international financing requires strong federal backing, including sovereign guarantees.
Analysts say the project needs to be presented globally as a national priority rather than a state initiative. Proposals include federal endorsements, roadshows in major financial capitals, and an international investor forum supported by the Presidency and key economic ministries.
Governor Eno has already mobilized significant political support. In meetings with President Bola Tinubu in 2024 and 2025, he framed the port as a national asset with regional economic importance. Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, have also publicly backed the initiative, visiting the project site and pledging federal cooperation.
Observers compare Eno’s determination to the leadership that pushed through monumental African infrastructure projects such as Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam. Supporters believe that with sustained political will and adequate financing, construction of the Ibom Deep Sea Port could finally begin within the next few years — marking a turning point for Nigeria’s maritime economy and its role in regional trade.
Africa Daily News, New York
